On January 17, The High People’s Court of Hoa Binh Province held an appeal trial against Dao Quang Thuc. In the first instance trial, he was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment and five years of probation for “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration." At the end of the appeal trial, the Judge reduced his sentence from 14 years to 13 years in prison.

Dao Quang Thuc, a retired teacher, was arrested under Article 79 on October 5, 2017, in Hoa Binh province, under charges of subversion. He was arrested for online postings and peaceful participation in protests over the environment and territorial disputes with China. In late January 2018, authorities told his daughter that his pre-trial detention would be extended by four months, but no official, written notice was provided.

Former teacher Dao Quang Thuc was tried on September 19 in Hoa Binh province and sentenced to 14 years in prison under Article 79 of the 1999 Criminal Code for subversion. Thuc's lawyer, Le Van Luan, said that the prosecution did not make an adequate case against Thuc, stating, “They showed only that he had tried to make connections [online] with others with similar views." Thuc's daughter remarked that he looked frail at trial, and that he had been severely beaten after his October 2017 arrest.

January 2019:

On January 17, The High People’s Court of Hoa Binh Province held an appeal trial against Thuc. At the end of the appeal trial, the judge reduced his sentence from 14 years to 13 years in prison.